Complaint Review: SOYO Rebate Center Tigerdirect.com

Here is a copy of the letter I sent to Michael Toupin at Tigerdirect. I also sent one to Tigerdirect's president, Carl Fiorentino. This was about a week ago. As of today there has been no response. I have exhausted every route other than this to get my rebate, so here goes. I believe it tells my story pretty well:

Dear Michael,

My dealings with Tigerdirect and your vendor SOYO have been nothing short of a nightmare. I bought a SOYO barebones kit from Tigerdirect in June 2004 that included a $50 mail-in rebate. I mailed in the rebate on 6/4/04. SOYO did not acknowledge receipt of my rebate documents until November 2004, at which time I was informed that the check would take about 2 weeks to reach my house. I waited and waited. I sent numerous unanswered emails to SOYO, and even called their toll telephone number where I would stay on hold for dozens of minutes at my cost to be transferred to a rebate line that will not answer or take messages because the "mailbox is full"? I have wasted my own hard-earned money on these calls.

I continued to send unanswered emails to SOYO regarding my rebate, and even sent a couple to Tigerdirect corporate, in hopes that you guys could make your vendor, SOYO, do the right thing and send me my rebate. Then I found an email address on a consumer advocacy website for luisb@verifyrebate.com. He stated about 3 weeks ago that my rebates had been mailed and to check back in 2 weeks if not received. 2 weeks came and went and I emailed him again. He replied this time to wait 90 day for my check until inquiring again. He wants me to wait 1 year for my rebate check. It's already been 9 months, isn't that enough?

I have been a computer enthusiast for about 10 years, and build computers for my friends, family, and myself as a hobby. I spend several thousand dollars per year on computer parts (power supplies, drives, MBs, CPU's, monitors, printers, etc.) and I often do business with companies I am unfamiliar with based on the lowest price, often including a mail-in rebate. I have dealt with dozens of companies and literally HUNDREDS of mail-in rebates. Of course, I understand that rebates occasionally have snags, we are all human beings and there are many variables involved in any situation. However, the situation I have experienced with your company is a first for me. I have never waited 3 quarters of a year for a rebate, and I must confess this experience has left a bitter taste in my mouth. I have not received my rebate from 9 months ago, and as a daily reminder, I have a 9 month old broken barebones computer system staring at me next to my workbench.

I sincerely hope that you can help me with my current problems with your vendor. Any help would be sincerely appreciated.

Thank You,

Robert
Dallas, TX

Bob
Dallas, Texas
U.S.A.